Truckloads full of Georgia peaches have been making their way into our neighborhood, and a few weeks ago my husband signed up to receive a box. We were very happy when it finally arrived last week, and we put the box of 42 hard peaches on the counter to await the great a-ripening. We were not disappointed.

Within 48 hours, two peaches were soft enough to eat. Soft and really sweet. They were all removed from the box and spread over the counter. The next day at least 4 or 5 more were ready to eat. I took a few of these, plus some hard ones, to my next-door neighbors. My daughter’s family. My grandchildren and I took a few more down the block to our neighbor JoAnn and Madi, her much loved Cavalier King Charles spaniel. I gave peaches to every  visitor who passed through the kitchen for the next few days. Then all the peaches went into the refrigerator. Except for maybe 6 peaches, they were now all ripe. So we needed a plan. 

Here’s the plan: Some have now been made into peach salsa, as below, and the rest are going to be made into peach sauce. After we have peach sauce we’ll freeze some of the jars, and then make whatever we’d like whenever it suits us.

3 medium-large tomatoes, chopped small
1 red bell pepper, seeded, cored, and diced small
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded, de-ribbed, and diced small
1 medium onion (white), peeled and diced small
5-6 peaches, unpeeled, stone removed and diced medium
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped fine
Juice of one lime
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Chop tomatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Chop up the red bell and jalapeño peppers, and transfer to the bowl. Dice the onion and add to the bowl. Dice the peaches in larger pieces, and add to vegetables.

Add the cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper.

Fold together gently, and serve. Serves 8-10.

This dish is delicious spooned over salmon, trout, and other white fish. It’s great surrounded by a ring of brown rice. It’s wonderful served with scooping veggies, like diagonally cut carrots and celery, or with blue corn chips. Or you may end up eating it as is, off a spoon, out of a cup. This recipe is honestly out of this world. A quintessentially summer recipe.

And if you prefer parsley to cilantro, feel free to make the switch.